New Year’s Eve celebrations

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atlanta, fireworks, Holiday, myrtle beach, new year's eve, south carolina

New Year's Eve 2009

New Year’s Eve 2009

I drank a little too much champagne with all the surrounding wedding excitement. We danced the night away so much that I  forgot the time difference from Atlanta to my peeps back “home”… and was a little peeved no one texted me at midnight. At 2 am, I was a happy woman again.

New Year’s day I woke up to a phone call that our dog had run away -probably scared off by the fireworks- and was sitting on a nice lady’s porch. She said her boys wanted to keep her. I said no thanks.

New Year's Eve 2010

New Year’s Eve 2010

was spent in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I loved the HUGE Christmas tree in the hotel lobby, and the chilly water on the beach. If it weren’t so windy, we would have enjoyed a longer walk in the sand.

New Year’s day we had a scrumptious pancake breakfast (with lots of coffee for me) and went in search of Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum, but instead we were fascinated by “Broadway at the Beach.” Fun shops including taffy-making and all types of beachy attire.

We hit the local mall and watched some kid roll around in a bubble in a pool of water. Not kidding.
Then we ate candy all the way home.

Happy New Year’s Eve! Wishing you blessings in 2012.
CD

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Always wear protection

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bbq, family, fireworks, fourth of july, friends, Holiday, pool, swimming

Eye protection, that is. But I got you to click on this post, didn’t I?

My 4th of July was great for about two hours while I swam and visited with friends, but the mood quickly went dark when the storm rolled in. we all thought it would blow over, but it did not.

After pouting around the house for the better part of the afternoon, I declared it family bike riding time. Even the dog went! (Now she’s utterly passed out, snoring like a Grandpa.)

I loved riding by the neighborhood houses to see how people were celebrating their holiday. Families were outside playing basketball, sitting in plastic lawn chairs on the driveway, and playing card games at picnic tables. There was a peaceful hum of activity in among the neighborhood.

At one point, I tried to see if I could ride with no hands like I could when I was young. But then a bug flew in my eye, and quickly ended that. Next time I will wear my glasses, or sunglasses at least.

The mood lightened after some exericse, and we were happy to get some fresh air. Despite the weather, it was nice to get outside. It’s going to be an early night with no fireworks for me. Tomorrow is a big day!

Happy fourth of July, all.

A girl who got lucky

Tags

college, family, in-laws, inlaws, inspirational, job, life, living at home, married, unemployed

I need to give a big shout out to my in-laws. {Here it is: BIG SHOUT OUT!!!!} Thanks mama and pops for letting us crash at your pad.

When my husband got out of the military, we decided to live with family (said in-laws) instead of using our savings for a mortgage, since we didn’t where I would get a job, and didn’t know where to buy a home. My husband will be finishing his degree at a very fancy shmancy art college, so I really (…really…) need a job.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Us, the newly-ish weds. On the road to 30 years old, and living at home. I thought it would be bad not having our own space, but we’ve adjusted well. It’s not as bad as it sounds, at all!

Sometimes in my recent blogs I’ve mentioned our “studio apartment.” You guessed it, it’s just one bedroom in their home. It’s small, but I’m thankful for the opportunity to have a lot of close time with my husband, (and I mean a LOT, since I’m unemployed, and school is not in session) and with my family here. I love getting to know my sister-in-law better, (well, everyone, really) and what better way to do that, than to live together?

I love that my in-laws are bilingual. I’ve brushed up on my Spanish, learned of some new meals (some that I politely tried, huh Mama, but probably won’t ever make [the Dominican meal…]). I’ve met extended family, and learned that they all have such big, warm hearts.

My father-in-law makes the best coffee, and always makes plenty for me. My mother-in-law is so level-headed, and gives the best advice.

I love that my in-laws are so welcoming. They welcomed me with open arms when I married my husband, and they were no different when we moved in. They are so wise, but never pass judgement on us. They are good examples of hard-working parents who know how to relax and have a good time, and spend their time loving family, neighbors, and friends.

I’m truly blessed to be a part of this family.
Everyone gets two families in life. The one they’re born into, and the one they choose.

I couldn’t have chosen better.
❤

 

This morning was a lovely morning

Tags

coffee, exercise, family, happiness, inlaws, life, living, morning, moving, workout, writing

Waking up refreshed, I started a pot of Cafe Bustelo for the adults at home. The house was quiet like the New Years day, and I took advantage of the downtime.

The coffee scent followed me as I scurried around the house starting laundry, folding beach towels, and bathing suits. The weather outside was h-o-t HOT, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the feel of the warm laundry against my skin.

Peeling my yoga mat open, I stretched on the floor, and started my workout DVD. Breathing deeply, I tried to “lose” my mind, as in going elsewhere. It’s a things yogans do, and I’m still new at it. Instead of worrying about what’s on the agenda, or who in the family is doing what, the grocery list, or the things that need fixing, I focused on, well, nothing except my breathing, and that the only thing in the world at the moment was myself.

After sweating and trembling through only one-third of the DVD (it’s P90X, give me a break!) I decided to write a little, then clean the “studio apartment” my husband and I are living in temporarily.

It was at that moment, I realized that my little life in our little apartment is perfectly fine with me. The right job will come to me, and we will purchase a home, but until then, life is so good. I’d hate to miss the happiness of the present because I’m so focused on the future.

Living out of boxes and suitcases

Tags

career, job, Marine Corps, Marines, military, moving, packing boxes

It is a humbling experience to be a military wife. It seems boxes never stay unpacked for too long, before items and “life” collected in the current geographical location get dumped inside, taped up, and shipped off to a new location. From coast to coast, marsh to desert, oasis to the average, to the pits.

It’s that time again for us, – yes, if this sounds like deja vu, you are correct. We just moved three months ago – but this time, big news is attached.

THIS IS THE LAST TIME WE ARE MOVING DUE TO THE MILITARY!

My wonderful husband is being honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps, and thus starts the adventure of our “normal” married life. Though we are not house-hunting or job-searching virgins, this move brings on a whole new meaning to life, and I can sum it up in one word: SETTLE! Not “settle” as in accepting something of lower value, but being “settled” in a certain city, seeing businesses close and new ones reopening in the same location. Saying to our kids, “I remember when we planted that now fifteen-foot tree.”

Among the list of things I’m most excited for are:

– CITY LIFE. Not much explanation needed. (Typed while sitting in a house in the middle of no where, on the water, away from civilization. That noise is my internet fizzling in and out.)

– Night life. Oh, to live in a city that never sleeps, or one that at least has a very late bedtime. Ever since I moved out of my parents house, I’ve lived in towns that roll up the sidewalks at 6 or 9 PM. Enough is enough!

– Creating “our” life in a house we choose to buy.  Not living in base-issued housing, not seeing “high and tight” haircuts, not feeling fake when I absolutely CRINGE and say “Sir” or “Ma’am.”

– Finding a job in my career field again, which leads to much much happiness for me.

– Watching my husband flourish and grow as he finishes college and pursues the passions of his heart.

– Coffee shops, boutiques, and clusters of people.

– Attending the church of our dreams. It’s a BIG one, and the worshipping is AH-MA-ZING!

Wish us luck on our new adventure. God has only the greatest in store for us right around the corner (and for you, too!). Oh, I forgot to mention, we’ll be out of here in a few days!

Bon voyage to us!
CD

The definition of me:

Tags

art, bible, expression, God, ink, parents, tats, tattoos, verses

Completely inspired and in awe of Tattoo Tuesday by Sometimes Sweet, I decided to peel some layers of my personal onion, and share more about ME.

I’ve been hiding a bit, afraid of posting my real name and real location. Maybe it’s a safety thing, maybe it’s my law enforcement employment kicking in, but I’ve decided it’s time to share a tad bit more.

I wrote an entire post about the visit with my parents, then decided it wasn’t interesting. What was interesting was having my parents survey my married life for the first time ever. They live across the country, and this was their first visit to our married lives. I think they recognized how significantly I’ve changed in the past few years, in my opinion for the better. In their opinion, I’m not sure.

When my husband and I met my parents at the baggage claim last week, we hugged and kissed and made small chat about their flight, and their layover. Once or twice my mom glanced at the tattoos (new since I’ve seen them last) on my collar-bone. Tattoos are not highly looked upon in my family or their beliefs, but she never said anything. Let’s chalk that up to them being more open-minded than I’ve given them credit for (sorry Mom and Dad!).

– – –

I’m certain as I made my dad his oatmeal the next morning he noticed the tattoos on my wrists, but he said nothing. This almost bothered me more than had they simply brought up the subject.

Finally the next day, as my mom and I decided between canary yellow and perfect peach for shirt colors for me, she asked if I was afraid to show my tattoos at work. I answered no, and a few hours later I mustered up the balls to tell her what my tattoos mean to me. Kendall Goodwin recently said on her blog The Contemplative Personal Blog of Kendall Goodwin,

“It’s not like your personality does a 180 when you get a tattoo; of all the people I know with tattoos, they have all stayed the same people they were pre-tat. The only difference is that they have some amazing artwork on their body now. If you’re so focused on thinking that nice-looking people are “ruining” their bodies with tattoos, you’ll never be able to see the beauty and meaning in what they’ve chosen to make part of their body.”

You can read the full post about tattoos here. Make time to read the comments, they are especially honest.

Back to my point. I concur with the above referenced statement. My tattoos are personal and intimate to me. They represent my relationship with God, and the beauty of his creations in my life.

So, in the event of claiming I’d open up and get a little more personal here, I’ve decided to include pictures and stats.

First tat
What: Psalm 38:15  “I will wait for you, Oh Lord, you will answer.”
Where: Below left collarbone
Significance: Sometimes I don’t get the answers right away, but they always come. Not even in the form I expected, but they always come. My God is faithful. He always answers.

Second tat
What: Flowers
Where: Surrounding previous tat
Significance: 1. To dress up and add color to the black inscription already on my shoulder. 2. To add beauty by choosing something I love, and something I’m thankful for being created.

Third tat(s)
What: Psalm 62:2, 7 “My Rock” and “My Refuge.”
Where: Inner wrists
Significance: Truly he is my rock and my refuge. I also love the rhyme in the rest of the scripture, “he is my salvation, I will never be shaken,” but that was too long for inner wrists. I wanted a brief reminded of who I belong to and who I am. I have plans to add a tattoo to my back about my salvation/never be shaken.

Fourth tat(s)
What: A vine of stars and flowers
Where: Along collar-bone, shoulder
Significance: More decoration, expression, and creations by God. I couldn’t decide between a string of lilies, or stars cascading down, so my tattoo artist designed a combination of both.

God is my rock

He is my refuge

My ink

How’s that for getting personal?

My parents are so cool, I can’t wait to show them off in public.

Tags

child, company, daughter, family, life lessons, marriage, mom and dad, parenting, parents, traveling, visiting

Dedicated to J. and C.

Not only is Dad's shirt awesome, but Mom made it for him.

I spent a very long time stumbling around the stage of life where my parents were not cool enough to be graced by my presence. In my earlier years I was a very stuck up, sneakily disobedient, and was much smarter than my parents, of course. By definition, I was a normal teenager.

Those behaviors have changed since I went to college, lived and worked on my own after college, met a handsome someone, got married, and moved around the US.

My parents are coming to visit my husband and me tomorrow, and I couldn’t be happier than my little six-year-old self on Christmas eve, except that I used to fill myself with such anxiety that I’d take on flu-like symptoms. Puking from excitement? Yes, it’s possible. Needless to say, I’m excited to see my parents, but I’ll keep the puking to a minimum.

– – –

These days I see my parents not as nerdy folks who go to bed at 9:30 p.m. on New Year’s eve (not a bad idea) but as knowledge-filled vessels with long, sturdy spouts. They easily tip to one side or the other to fill me up with their knowledge. Here are the random, but useful things I’ve learned over the years:

-How to check the oil in my car
-How to sew on a button/mend a hole
-How to have a firm handshake and present myself confidently
-Believing in a higher power cultivates life
-It’s always a good idea to have a flashlight and a knife close by
-Hard work is worth the…work
-Liquid dish soap does NOT belong in the dishwasher
-Steady, aim, fire
-A smile is the best accessory to any outfit
-Reading enriches life
-Work hard, play hard
-Marriage is worth fighting for, not about
-Lights do not turn themselves off. Electricity bills do not pay themselves
-A fast shower is a happy water bill
-Seek positivity in everything
-Always send a thank you note

I’d like to take a moment to thank my fans, a.k.a my parents. Thanks for putting up with me, and for seeing me through. I may have turned out completely opposite from who they tried to raise, but I didn’t turn out all that bad, did I?

Ok, back to the record at hand, I’m looking forward to spending time with my parents. It’s been over a year, and they’ve not seen this part of the country in years. I have my meals planned out already, the grocery shopping done, the sheets clean, bed made, activities planned (anyone sensing a theme? They are very active and very much planners. “What do you wanna do?” “I dunno, what do you wanna do?” won’t fly in this fam).

We’ll visit the beach, walk the dog together, view the humbling tornado damage, cook together, play games, laugh, and learn a whole bunch of new things!

My parents are so cool, I can’t wait to show them off in public.
CD